CHOCOLATE ISLAND

Looking for a birthday treat guaranteed to wow?

Then celebrate with a giant melt-in-the-mouth cupcake from Chocolate Island.

These artisan delights are made from glossy silky Belgian chocolate.

Each handmade mega cupcake is available in a mind-boggling variety of flavours and colours - from mellow smooth milk chocolate to yummy scrummy strawberry.

Choccie cupcakes can be personalised and crammed full of tasty sweets and treats.

Chocolate Island also offers a stunning range of exclusive sweet sensations.

From huge hand-poured colourful chocolate marbled slabs to handmade miniatures, every one will make your mouth water.

The nobbly chocolate bars burst with whole nuts, spices and chunks of fruit or come studded with jelly babies and dolly mixtures.

Girls will also adore the beautiful chocolate shoes.

Or plump for a bag of chocolate buttons - perfect for fabulous fondues.

They even have chilli and garlic chocolate to tantalise your tastebuds.

Chocolate Island also stocks a range of choccie-related gifts including Red Hot Chocolate La Chocolatiere pot with two cups and saucers.

You can watch chocolates being made fresh from authentic ingredients with no artificial nasties.

Kids birthday parties are available to book, giving youngsters the chance to become Willy Wonka for a day.

Then enjoy a cup of real hot chocolate and cake at Coco Cafe as you relax in the sunny courtyard.

Visit Chocolate Island and see their mouthwatering range - all certain to be truly well received.

* Chocolate Island, Welcomes, Church Hollow, Godshill. PO38 3HH. Tel. 01983 840090.

GODSHILL CIDER COMPANY

If you have a pressing desire to enjoy the finest tipples then Godshill Cider Company is truly scrumpy-licious.

Pig’s Snout, Porter’s Perfection, Somerset Redstreak, Taunton Fair Maid, Tremlett’s Bitter and White Alphington are just some of the apples growing in their orchards.

They’re all put to great use - producing a range of palate pleasing tipples.

The traditional cider making process begins in September when the apples are picked.

Pressing begins the following month when the stored apples are washed and milled to produce the pulp.

Wooden frames are used to squeeze the delicious golden juice into waiting containers.

It is then pumped to large vessels where the natural process of fermentation begins.

After four weeks the cider is allowed to slowly mature and develop its flavour and character.

The juice and cider is carefully tested for quality and taste at every stage of the process.

Once ready they are blended to produce the distinctive balance and character that distinguishes Godshill cider.

This refreshing drink is then filtered, bottled and ready to be sampled.

The family-run company also makes fiery ginger beer, country wines and liqueurs.

They sell all this alongside a wide range of Island produce including preserves, marmalades, chutneys, pickles, mustards and beers.

* Godshill Cider Company, High Street, Godshill. PO38 3HZ. Tel. 01983 840680. For further info go to: www.godshillcider.co.uk

DAISY DAISY (NOTE PHOTO TO BE DONE AND COPY TO BE CHECKED)

Seeking an unusual and quirky gift idea? Well Daisy Daisy literally blooms with fabulous global goodies.

The shop is a treasure trove of funky and modern Fairtrade treats including handmade jewellery and accessories, handpainted ceramics and wooden toys.

Other must-haves are organic cotton kids' clothes, recycled aluminium homewares and colourful kitchenware.

The shelves are lined with felt bags and purses from Nepal and silk flower brooches from Soweto in South Africa.

A range of cold pressed soap in handmade mulberry boxes from Thailand has recently been introduced.

Other favourites include scarves and eye-catching fairy lights.

Each comes with a gift label signed by the person who made it.

Every gift has been carefully chosen and is almost certainly not available anywhere else on the Island.

The shop - opened in summer 2008 - is owned by mother and daughter duo Julia and Annabel Robin.

Products are sourced from 20 different accredited suppliers who deal directly with producers around the world.

The idea is to cut out the middle men, meaning the producer earns more for their goods.

Annabel revealed: "By ensuring a very short chain the producer gets on average between four and six times more for what they make.

"We wanted to do something that would make a difference to people.

"We're accredited by the British Association for Fairtrade Shops, so customers can be confident they are purchasing genuine Fairtrade products.

"I feel it's really important people think about where things come from before they buy them."

The regularly changing products are also available from the Daisy Daisy website.

* Daisy Daisy, High Street, Godshill. PO38 3HH. Tel. 01983 840913. For further info go to: www.daisydaisyethicalgifts.co.uk

THE TAVERNERS (PHOTO TO BE DONE)

The cream-painted pub is one of the island's most famous watering holes and restaurants.

It has filled many roles in its history including village bakehouse, post office, general store and tea room.

Today this award-winning establishment is run by Islanders Roger Serjent and Lisa Choi.

They are committed to producing a high-quality menu, while keeping their food and drink miles as low as possible.

Meat, poultry, eggs and dairy produce all come from just minutes away, whilst seafood arrives from nearby Ventnor and Bembridge.

Even the chips are hand peeled, hand cut and triple cooked as they strive to serve up some of the freshest and best quality ingredients around.

A large sign outside requests home grown fruit and veggies in exchange for beer.

An attached butcher/deli sells gourmet sausages, Godshill bacon, homemade sauces, freshly baked bread, jams, pies and some frozen meals.

It also offers a selection of fine wines to take away from 7 pounds.

The shop also stocks a range of olive wood products such cheese boards, parmesan graters and useful kitchen gadgets plus soaps, jewellery and bags.

In the restaurant each table has chunky cutlery wrapped in a classic linen tea towel and candles in old tin cans.

It's rustic without losing usefulness and works well with the large fireplaces and cosy atmosphere.

A map on the front wall shows how far each piece of produce has travelled to get into the pub's kitchen while another board reveals what fruit and veg is currently in season.

Favourite dishes include proper beef and ale pie or baked macaroni cheese, while the specials board might feature slow-roast Moor Farm pork cheek with faggot and mash.

Among the mouth-watering puddings are the tastebud-tempting My Nan's lemon meringue pie and soft chocolate pudding with white chocolate ice-cream.

The adjoining garden features a toddlers' play area, a run for the pub's two pet chickens plus assorted vegetable patches brimming with herbs, beans and artichokes.

* The Taverners, High Street, Godshill. PO38 3HZ. Tel. 01983 840707. For further info go to: www.thetavernersgodshill.co.uk

THE OLD SMITHY

This former blacksmith's forge is a popular meeting spot - but much more than just a wonderful coffee shop.

The Old Smithy is home to a string of shops stocking an extensive range of fantastic fashions, stylish homeware and great gift ideas.

Whether you are looking for classic, casual, smart or everyday wearable they have clothes for everyone.

Top European designer names include Cocomenthe, Pret A Porter, Gerry Weber and Verse.

Update your wardrobe with a stunning dress, coat or trouser suit or choose from gorgeous Bianca handbags and accessories.

Next door browse an array of delights, cards and collectables from the likes of Border Fine Arts, Enesco, Portmeirion and Spode.

With everything from jewellery, fine china and books to candles, pens and glassware this is the ideal place for that unusual pressie or keepsake.

Aromatherapy products, perfumes and body oils are also on sale.

Meanwhile, Style Interiors is full of ideas for modern, traditional and country homes.

It has everything from glass dining tables and quilted bedspreads to floor lamps and mirrors.

After all that shopping take time out to relax in the award-winning coffee shop.

Enjoy tasty and filling main meals, light bites, delicious homemade pastries, hugely tempting cream cakes plus the finest coffees and teas.

Afterwards stroll through the enchanting gardens, landscaped in the shape of the Island.

Enjoy the fun models, tiny grottos and avaries filled with chirping tropical birds.

The Old Smithy is open seven days a week and there is a large free public car park.

* The Old Smithy, High Street, Godshill. PO38 3JE. Tel. 01983 840364. For further info go to: www.theoldsmithy.com

THE MODEL VILLAGE

Small is beautiful and Godshill's secret garden has to be seen to believed.

The mini village at the heart of the community is a must-visit.

Nesting in the gardens of the Old Vicarage, this attraction is an exact replica of the villages of Godshill and Shanklin in one-tenth scale.

It's a frozen-in-time snapshot of how the buildings looked in the 1920s and 30s.

The model vicarage garden contains yet two more model villages, one one-hundredth and one one-thousandth scale.

The exquisite details include houses, many with real thatched roofs; miniature trees and gardens; an airfield; four pubs and scores of local characters going about their daily business.

There's even a fully operational model railway, which will enthral both children and big kids alike.

The one and a quarter acre garden is landscaped with over 3,000 conifers, many treated with ornamental bonsai to form a perfect setting for the models.

Staff work hard over the winter re-laying driveways, fixing roofs, thatching and model making to ensure the attraction is in top shape for the summer season.

The model village has been painstakingly crafted in the back garden of Stuart and Penny Dyer, and has been in the same family since 1969.

It takes about 45 minutes to wander around, with quiz sheets guaranteed to keep everyone entertained.

But walk around the award-winning attraction twice and catch all the quirky extras you missed first time.

A Family Ticket is just 12.00 pounds - and for an extra 5 pounds you can take them back all season long. This unlimited offer equals fantastic value for Islanders.

* The Model Village, High Street, Godshill. PO38 3HH. Tel. 01983 840270. For further info go to: www.modelvillagegodshill.co.uk

BROWNRIGG POULTRY

If you want to savour the finest quality meat at the best prices then buy direct from the farm.

The quest for Brownrigg Poultry is to get people to connect with the food they eat.

They sell fresh, free-range chickens and ducks throughout the year.

Visit idyllic Sheepwash Farm just minutes outside Godshill village and you'll see hundreds of birds hurrying around the grassy fields carpeted with wild flowers.

Poultry is plucked weekly on the farm and allowed to mature giving the meat more flavour and tenderness.

Also available is beef from their herd of pedigree Ruby Red North Devon cattle and lamb from their flock of ewes.

Pork from Saddleback pig, locally shot game and free range eggs are also on sale.

All meat is prepared ready for the table, to sell at The Farmers Market in Newport every Friday or for collection from the farm over the weekend. Island wide delivery is also available.

Brownrigg Poultry also guarantee it is free from antibiotics or growth promoters - and is suitable for home freezing.

New farm shop 'The Farmers' Weekend Joint' is open Fridays and Saturdays 10am - 6pm and Sundays 10am - 4pm.

On sale are a flavoursome array of meaty sausages and burgers ideal for summer BBQs.

A butcher will cut joints as you require and there is a wide range of flavoursome homemade preserves.

Brownrigg Poultry is committed to offering any cut, any quantity but always the same superb quality.

Why fly food halfway round the globe when you can support the local community and buy produce that's fresh and naturally grown?

* Brownrigg Poultry, Sheepwash Farm, Sheepwash Lane, Godshill. PO38 3JP. Tel. 01983 840978. For further info go to: www.brownriggpoultry.co.uk

GODSHILL CHERRY ORCHARD

Selling plump, juicy cherries is a blossoming business which proves to be bearing fruit.

Located on the southern slopes above the village, the eight acre orchard is home to more than 4,000 cherry trees.

Varities include Colney, Early Rivers, Hartfords, Lapins, Sasha, Stella and Sunburst.

The fruit hate wind and rain while ripening - but thanks to free draining land and the unique Island climate they flourish here.

You can buy Godshill Cherries on roadside stalls, at Farmer Jack’s, and in Island Co-op Stores and delicatessens.

* Godshill Cherry Orchard, Hollow Lane, Godshill. PO36 3JP. For further info go to: www.godshillcherries.co.uk

LEGEND has it that the building of a church was begun at the bottom of the hill but large stones kept disappearing overnight and reappearing at the site of the present church at the top of the hill.

After two consecutive nights work was restarted but after the third removal of the stones it was assumed that God wanted the Church built on the hill and hence the name Godshill was formed.

The ancient church dedicated to All Saints can be reached from Church Hollows.

It looks over the village from its hilltop position and dates back to Medieval times.

Inside the 15th century place of worship is a fabulous stained glass window designed by William Morris.